Manpower reports that the 35 percent of employers that report talent shortages this year is the highest percentage since 2007. The top five jobs employers globally are having difficulty filling are skilled trade workers, engineers, sales representatives, technicians, and accounting and finance staff.

According to the 2013 survey results:

For the second consecutive year, the most severe talent shortages are in Japan (85 percent) and Brazil (68 percent).

When compared with 2012, talent shortages are a growing issue across China (35 percent), Japan (85 percent), and India (61 percent), where the proportion of employers reporting skills gaps increased 12, 4, and 13 percent, respectively. The percentage of difficulty reported by employers in Japan is now the highest recorded in the eight-year history of the survey.

Reported shortages are also at a six-year high in both Canada (34 percent), where the proportion has grown 9 percent year-over-year, and in France (33 percent) where the percentage climbed 4 percent.

Meanwhile, employers in the U.S. (39 percent) and Germany (35 percent) report fewer difficulties filling jobs compared to 2012; percentages in both countries dipped to the lowest levels reported since 2010.